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A Detroit school's science project got the attention of President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

The White House hosted a science fair, featuring projects by more than 100 students from across the country.

Obama visited the exhibits in the State Dining Room, and his first stop was a design for a more energy-efficient city by a team of students from the Paul Robeson, Malcolm X Academy in Detroit.

The president asked a few questions, shook hands and thanked the Detroit students for their work.

Later, he commented on the Detroit project in remarks to all the students.

"There's a group of young engineers from Paul Robeson-Malcolm X Academy," Obama said. "And nobody needs to tell them the kinds of challenges that Detroit still faces. Where's my team from Detroit? In the house -- there they are. Stand up. They believe in their city, and they're coming up with new ideas to keep Detroit's comeback going."

The Robeson academy is part of the Detroit Public Schools and has about 600 students in kindergarten n through eighth grade.

The projects also included a robot that helps senior citizens connect with their families via Skype and a portable disaster relief shelter that could be used to house people who have been displaced from their homes.

"It's not every day you have robots running all over your house," Obama said. "I'm trying to figure out how you got through the metal detectors."

The president said the students participating in the science fair were an inspiration, and made him confident that the nation's best days were yet to come.